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Sermon: Arrows – Part 1
see part 2
by
Chris Cumming
There is a story about a totally drunk driver
on his way home from the bar. He turns on to a one-way street going the
wrong way. He is immediately seen by a policeman and pulled over.
The policeman approaches the car and begins talking to the driver.
“Were you aware you were driving the wrong way on a one-way street?” “I
had no idea” the driver replied through slurred speech. The policeman
then asked, “Well, didn’t you see the arrows?” The driver then said,
“Arrows?, I didn’t even see the Indians.”
That joke is old as the hills but it makes the point. Are we seeing the
arrows? Are we hearing and seeing the directions God is giving to us?
Is it possible for a firstfruit to lose sight of God’s way? If so, how?
This is a two-part sermon. Today we are going to establish that God has
provided us with arrows to show the way. On Sunday, we will review all
the specific arrows God gives us to keep us on the straight and narrow.
Key verse:
Haggai 1:5, 7
5 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
He says the same thing in verse 7:
7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
In your studies of Haggai you know that he, like the books of Ezra and
Nehemiah are speaking when some of God’s people were released from the
Babylonish captivity and reestablishing themselves in Jerusalem.
However God becomes upset when they fail to reestablish the Temple. You
see this spoken to in verse 4 when God states “Is it time for you, O
ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house [the
Temple] lie waste.” where God
then commands that they “consider their ways.”
The Adam Clarke says:
Consider your ways - Is it fit that you should be building yourselves
elegant houses, and neglect a place for the worship of that God who has
restored you from captivity? ~Adam
Clarke
We see clearly that God, in everything He does, has a specific purpose
or what the Bible calls “sanctification.” We are to do all things
according to the purpose of God. Notice this almost universal
application of purpose in how the John Gill explains the phrase:
Consider your ways - their sinful ways, and repent of them, and forsake
them, particularly their ingratitude before observed; and their civil
ways, their common ways of life; their labour, work, and business, they
were continually employed in; and observe the event of them; what
success they had, what these issued in; whether there were not some
visible tokens of the divine displeasure on them, which rendered all
their attempts to support and enrich themselves and families vain, and
of no effect: and they would do well to consider to what all this was to
be imputed; whether it was not chiefly owing to this, their neglect of
the house of God; and this he would have considered, not in a slight
cursory way; but with great earnestness, diligence, and application of
mind: "put", or "set your hearts upon your ways"; so it may be literally
rendered. ~John Gill
In this commentary we see reference made to many aspects in our lives.
God is saying that we must do all things according to His instructions,
His directions and to the purposes He establishes for all things He made
and for all things into which He becomes involved. If we do according
to His purpose, we are blessed and if we do not, we are not blessed.
Notice verse 6 of Haggai 1 which comes in between the two verses
commanding we consider our ways:
Haggai 1:6
Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough;
ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is
none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag
with holes.
The New Living Bible renders it this way…
Haggai 1:6
You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied.
You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep
warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets
filled with holes!
Let us continue with the rest of this short chapter. The theme is
repeated. First God is going to repeat what it is they were doing…not
seeing the arrows. Then God sees His people declaring they will follow
those arrows.
Haggai 1:8-14
8 Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will
take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.
9 Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it
home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine
house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.
10 Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is
stayed from her fruit.
11 And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and
upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that
which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon
all the labour of the hands.
12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech,
the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of
the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD
their God had sent him, and the people did fear before the LORD.
13 Then spake Haggai the LORD'S messenger in the LORD'S message unto the
people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD.
14 And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel,
governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the
high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they
came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,
What happens when we follow the arrows of God? Go back to verse
8 where God gives them specific instructions.
8 Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will
take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.
When we follow the arrows, God is glorified.
In Barnes Notes regarding Haggai 1:5, it says:
And now, thus saith the Lord of hosts; “Consider,”
(literally
“set your heart upon)
your ways,” -
what they had been doing, what they were doing, and what those doings
had led to, and would lead to. This is ever present to the mind of the
prophets, as speaking God’s words, that our acts are not only “ways” in
which we go, each day of life being a continuance of the day before; but
that they are ways which lead, somewhere in God’s Providence and His
justice; to some end of the “way,” good or bad.
~Barnes Notes
Does God set before us both pathways [the
right one and the wrong one]?
Does He speak about both blessing if we take the right way and a
curse if we do not?
Jeremiah 21:8
…during a prophecy from Jeremiah
regarding the king of Babylon
And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set
before you the way of life and the way of death.
Deuteronomy 11:26
Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;
Deuteronomy 30:15-19
15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and
evil;
16 In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in
his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his
judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God
shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
17 But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt
be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;
18 I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that
ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over
Jordan to go to possess it.
19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have
set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose
life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his
voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the
length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD
sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give
them.
Isaiah 1:16-20
…God states specific arrows in this
one
16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from
before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the
fatherless, plead for the widow.
18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your
sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red
like crimson, they shall be as wool.
19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for
the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Does God give purpose to things and does Satan attempt to tempt us to
go against the purpose of these things?
1 Timothy 4:1-5
...speaking to the purpose of things
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall
depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of
devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot
iron;
3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God
hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and
know the truth.
4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be
received with thanksgiving:
5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
We just recently completed a series of Bible studies in which we spent
at least one hour in each of these five verses. In the study we see
that God has given specific purpose and design to everything He made and
into every circumstance He in which He involves Himself. Satan and man,
himself constantly go against these purposes and designs. These
doctrines of devils are arrows pointing the wrong way. Each thing and
situation that God sanctifies is an arrow we are to follow.
Ezekiel 18 and verses 20-28 speak to the arrows or ways of God. I could
just read you nine verses and then comment but let us take each verse
with a question.
If the soul sinneth, will it die?
Ezekiel 18:20
The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity
of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son:
the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness
of the wicked shall be upon him.
Will we live if we follow His ways?
Ezekiel 18:21
But if the wicked will turn from
all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do
that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
If we follow His ways will our past sins be forgotten?
Ezekiel 18:22
All his transgressions that he hath
committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness
that he hath done he shall live.
Does God have any pleasure in the wicked dying?
Ezekiel 18:23
Have I any pleasure at all that the
wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return
from his ways, and live?
If a man rejects God’s ways will his prior righteousness count for
anything?
Ezekiel 18:24
But when the righteous turneth away
from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to
all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his
righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass
that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them
shall he die.
Does man attempt to say God’s ways are unjust? What does God say in
reply?
Ezekiel 18:25
Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is
not equal [just and right].
Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways
unequal [wrong]?
If a man dies the second death, who is to blame?
Ezekiel 18:26
When a righteous man turneth away
from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for
his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.
What can a wicked man do to insure eternal life?
Ezekiel 18:27
Again, when the wicked man turneth
away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is
lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. [he
is now following the arrows]
Does it pay to consider which arrows we might be following?
Ezekiel 18:28
Because he considereth, and turneth
away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely
live, he shall not die.
These nine verses are clear. We are to follow Gods instructions and His
ways.
What generally happens when we think on God’s ways?
Psalm 119:59
I thought on my ways, and turned my
feet unto thy testimonies.
In light of the verse I just read, how do we get God involved in
thinking on our ways?
Psalm 139:23-24
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way
everlasting.
Who leads us down the path of righteous arrows?
Isaiah 48:17
Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD
thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way
that thou shouldest go.
Just how long will God lead us and are their blessings as we follow?
Isaiah 58:11
And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in
drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered
garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
Can a man direct his own steps, establish his own arrows and follow
them?
Jeremiah 10:23
O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man
that walketh to direct his steps.
Do the arrows lead us to truth?
John 16:13
Howbeit when it, the Spirit of truth, is come, it will guide you into
all truth: for it shall not speak of itself; but whatsoever it shall
hear, that shall it speak: and it will shew you things to come.
Does God guide our feet on this path?
Luke 1:79
To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Does God use reproof to help us see the arrows? How does He do that?
Proverbs 1:23
Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I
will make known my words unto you.
Does invoking righteousness actually direct our path?
Proverbs 11:5
The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked
shall fall by his own wickedness.
Ah, the things sanctified for righteousness are actually the arrows on
the path.
If we consider our ways and compare them to God’s ways and set to do
it His way, will He then direct our direction and pathway?
Proverbs 16:9
A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.
Note:
The first part of this verse is not talking
about a wicked man but the Haggai 1:5 man who is considering his ways
and considering the arrows of God.
We have been studying the concept of Knowledge, Understanding and Wisdom
and how the first two give rise to the Wisdom which is action. Does
God teach us this concept in the process of directing our path of
righteousness?
Proverbs 2:1-8
1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with
thee;
2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to
understanding;
3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for
understanding;
4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid
treasures;
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the
knowledge of God.
6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and
understanding.
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them
that walk uprightly.
8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his
saints.
Is the path of righteous arrows a plain path?
Psalm 27:11
Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine
enemies.
Note:
The commentaries state that the path is plain to those with knowledge
and understanding of that knowledge.
Note:
The phrase about the enemies has to do with the fact that our enemies
are watching to see us falter so they can scoff.
Does God direct the pathway of the wicked?
Proverbs 21:29
A wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright, he directeth
his way.
Does God give a command that if followed will result in directed
paths?
Proverbs 3:6
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Note:
What is it, do you think, that we are acknowledging Him about? In all
our ways, we acknowledge the purpose and design He has assigned to
everything He has made, commanded and in which He has become involved.
He sanctifies all these things. It is actually these
purposes…sanctification…that directs the path. These are the arrows.
What is one method by which God guides us? Is the Kingdom of God the
result?
Psalm 73:24
Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
The evil arrows are foolish. Should we avoid them? What will be the
result? What is the primary admonition in giving up foolish things?
Proverbs 9:6
Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.
Are the arrows of God arrows of mercy and truth if we keep His ways?
Psalm 25:8-10
8 Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the
way.
9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his
way.
10 All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his
covenant and his testimonies.
In our learning about arrows, does immersion into the Word of God and
prayer help?
Psalm 17:4-5
4 Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me
from the paths of the destroyer.
5 Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.
How should we word that prayer?
Psalm 25:4
Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
Would it be wise to acknowledge God in these prayers?
Psalm 25:5
Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my
salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
Should I pray that God put these arrows right in front of my face?
Psalm 5:8
Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy
way straight before my face.
How does one walk following the righteous arrows. That is, by what
power is this done?
Galatians 5:16
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of
the flesh.
Is it possible to fall from the path of righteous arrows? What then?
Hebrews 6:4-6
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have
tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to
come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing
they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open
shame.
Do we need wisdom to do all this? If so, how do we get it?
James 1:5
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men
liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Are there those who would attempt to lead us off the path of
righteous arrows?
Matthew 24:24
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew
great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall
deceive the very elect.
Arrows for the Future
In the millennium will God be talking about paths with arrows?
Micah 4:2
And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the
mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will
teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall
go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Will Christ continue to lead humans to righteous arrows after He
returns?
Revelation 7:17
For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and
shall lead them unto living fountains of waters [truth,
understanding, comfort and happiness]: and God shall wipe away all
tears from their eyes.
Will the humans in the millennium be encouraged to follow the
righteous arrows?
Isaiah 30:21
And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way,
walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the
left.
Will God be the leader on this path of righteous arrows?
Isaiah 40:10-11
10 Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall
rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs
with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those
that are with young.
So this ends Part 1
of this sermon on the Arrows of God. Next time we will list all the
specific arrows of God.
Let me leave you with three quick scriptures:
Does God promise to show us the arrows?
Psalm 32:8
I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I
will guide thee with mine eye.
Do the paths of God bring blessings? Do the blessings last all year
long?
Psalm 65:11
Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.
Where do all these arrows lead us?
Psalm 143:10
Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead
me into the land of uprightness.
So go now and follow the arrows of God.
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